Draft-equalizer



(NoModeIL) A. M. LIVELSBERGER.

DRAFT EQUALIZBR.

N0. 355,184. Patent'ed Dec'. 28, 1886-.

IN VEJV' TOR.

WITNESSES.

R PE 7 I I ,m'q R UNITED STATES PATENT Fries ALBERT M. LIVELSBERGER, OF FORT IVAYNE, INDIANA.

'DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 855,184, dated December 28, 1886.

Application filed November 2, 1886. Serial No. 217,775.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, ALBERT M. LIvELs- BERGER, of the city of Fort Wayne, county of Allen, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft- Equalizers, of which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to that class of equalizers whereby two pairs ofhorses, one arranged in front of theother, may be compelled to pull equally upon the load.

Said invention principally consists in the connecting of the two double-trees (rear and front) by a rope or chain passing over a pulley or pulleys at the rear end of the tongue, as will be hereinafter more particularly de scribed and claimed. a

It further consists in providing in the same apparatus a means of giving the rear doubletree an elastic movement when the front one (together with the team attached thereto) is not used, also as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a tongue and the two sets of double-trees and singletrees embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, a central vertical section of the same on the dot ted line 2 2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale, similar to a portion of Fig. 2 Fig. 4, a transverse vertical sectional view, looking toward the left from the dotted line at tin Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a somewhat different construction, in which two pulleys instead of one are employed; and Fig. 6, a side elevation of the same.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the tongue; B, the rear double-tree;

' G, the front double-tree; D, the pulley or pulleys at the rear. end of the tongue, over which the connecting rope or chain passes; E, said connecting rope or chain, and F a spring by which the elastic movement of the rear doubletree is secured when it is the only one employed, as before mentioned.

The pole or tongue A is, in the main, an ordi nary tongue to a wagon, engine, machine, or whatever it may be desired to draw. I may (No model.\

here say that this invention has been used most commonly with the machines known as roadnot essential how the slide shall be constructed.

The pulley or pulleys D are located at the rear end .of the tongue, and are mounted on a shaft secured in bearingsthereiu. The rope or chain E passes over this pulley, and thus an absolutely equal chance is given each ofthe teams, as the relative force is not varied by a changing of the position of the double-trees, as is the case where levers or such like devices are employed, which, I am aware, has been done, and which I desire now to expressly disclaim. This rope or chain Eis shown as a rope only for a sufficient distance to afford the desired flexibility to pass around the pulley, the greater part of the connection being shown as a rod; but it is obvious that it mightbe a rope for the whole distance or a chain without departing from my invention, that portion of it which remains always substantially straight being either stiff or flexible, as may be desired by the maker or user. Rods are used for these straight portions, because they are somewhat more convenient and less expensive; but they are amere continuation of the rope for the purposes of this invention, and are so considered. V

The spring F is located in a barrel, F, secured to the under side of the tongue A. Ordinarily, when both teams are employed, this spring exercises no function, as the rod or rope passes directly through it. However,when the front double-tree, O, is removed and only one pair of horses is employed, a pin, 6, is passed through a hole formed to receive it in an enlarged or flattened portion of the rod,which passes through this spring; but in case therope is continued through, then a metal link may .in Figs. 5 and 6, it being only essential that it shallbe capable of sliding back and forth, and

be inserted at this point for the purpose. A

small cap or washer, f, is usually provided,

which covers the end of the spring and serves as a bearing for this pin. Thus,'(the spring being seated in the bottom of the barrel,) when the horses pull upon the double-tree, the spring yields somewhat, and, instead of a dead pull, the elastic movement desired is attained, as well as a very simple means of securing this doubletree in position, for the purpose mentioned. The rod or rope is supported atits forward end by a link, a, attached to the under side of the tongue.

The front double-tree, G, and the whiffietrees attached thereto are of the usual construction, and are only shown to illustrate the operation of this invention.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure tree, and a rope or chain passing over said pulley or pulleys and connecting said rear and front donbletrces, substantially as shown and described.

2. lhe combination, in a draftequalizer arranged for two pairs of horses, one in front of the other, in which the front double-tree and pair of horses may be attached to the rear double-tree mounted in or upon ways or slide on the tongue of said rear double-tree, ofa spring, also secured to said tongue, a rope or chain passing from said double-tree over a pulley through said spring, and a pin, 6, by which ALBE RT M. L] VELSB llllGll R.

In presence of- Gnas. F. PFEIFFER, ARTHUR Frrzsmons. 

